Jaina's Rebellion
by Unlimited Power
Summary: Young Jaina's passion for flying gets out of hand and Leia takes drastic measures. Mara doesn't want to get involved but she might not have much of a choice. Happy Legends Family Week!
1. Chapter 1

Story written for Legends Family Week 2020 on tumblr.

Prompts: Flight, Parent & Child, Legacy

Warning: I'm playing fast and loose with canon in this story just for the sake of making it more interesting. I know this is not 100 percent compliant with Legends.

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**Jaina's Rebellion**

**Chapter 1**

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The swoop track in the lower levels of Coruscant was busy at this time. Jaina sneaked down there with her brothers after their lessons. All three of them had old swoops, which they had to patch up by themselves in their dad's workshop. Jaina was proud of her work on the bike. She'd been on cloud nine when she'd finally repaired it and taken it for the first ride!

The teenage girl took in a deep breath through her nose. The racetrack smelled like exhaust fumes, grease and excitement. Jaina smiled to herself. This was what she was here for—some good old fun just flying to her heart's content.

The three Solo siblings entered the next race. Jaina checked the best times on the holographic board from the previous competition and smirked. She knew she had this in the bag. Not that she was interested in any possible reward—it was only parts, which she could acquire on her own without much hassle. She just loved to win.

The contestants took the starting positions and the countdown began. Jaina tensed in preparation, gripping the handles on her bike tightly.

"3… 2… 1…"

The signal rang out and her swoop shot off onto the track, a nanosecond faster than even Anakin's. Jaina concentrated solely on the road in front of her. She reveled in the sensation of flying through the air like a bullet and the cold wind whipping her face. At that speed, everything around became a blur to the naked eye. The only things that seemed to exist were she, her bike and the track.

A mad laugh burst out of her and got lost in the roar of the engine. Jaina loved flying, she loved the feeling of total freedom it gave her. Her father understood it, he was a pilot too. He knew the joy that came with flying fast and dangerous, on your own machine that you maintained and cherished. The destination didn't matter, only the pure moment of adrenaline and the bursting pride in your own skill that have brought you so far. Jaina couldn't understand how anyone could not get it… For example, her own mother.

The girl never told this to anyone but sometimes she thought flying was even better than the Force. If she ever had to choose between the two, she'd have a serious problem. The Force was her calling, but she didn't think she could live without flying. The rush it gave her was impossible to replicate.

With bitterness, Jaina thought that her mother would choose neither. All she cared about was politics. Didn't she realize that none if it mattered?!

Jaina angrily swerved around the obstacle in her path. Why couldn't her mother have her stupid ball a week later? Because of it, Jaina and her brothers had been forced to return from the Jedi Praxeum. They were supposed to start a Jedi piloting class with Uncle Luke! She was so looking forward to getting to fly in a real X-wing! Instead, she was going to some stiff, upper-level party filled with stuffy politicians and their snobby offspring who she had to play nice with while all her friends were going to have the real fun flying starfighters! This was so incredibly unfair!

The girl was so preoccupied with her angry thoughts that she took a turn too late and lost precious seconds and speed to adjust her course. She cursed under her breath. Her mother was ruining things even when she wasn't there!

Once again, Jaina made a rookie mistake and had to go around the obstacle instead of vaulting over it. It slowed her down as a result. Other swoops started bypassing her.

"What's going on, slowpoke?" she heard Jacen's playful taunt over the comm. She was going to be left in the dust if this continued!

With the rise of her competitive spirit, Jaina gritted her teeth and pushed on the throttle. She threw herself into the race, quickly gaining on her twin brother. She was the next ace pilot of the family, not he!

They road narrowed; Jaina was already on Jacen's tail. He was fending off her aggressive attempts to overtake him surprisingly well. It had to be because of their Force bond. He could sense her intention which way to go and always blocked her just in the nick of time. In her frustration, Jaina pulled her swoop up and made it jump over Jacen's bike.

"Jaina, no!" he shouted, but it was too late, she was already in the air, flying above him and towards the derelict speeder placed directly in the middle of the racetrack as an obstacle.

In a testament to Jaina's skill, she attempted to veer to the side right away after landing. Her swoop still clipped the speeder and was sent careening into the safety force field around the track. With a thud, Jaina hit her head and lost consciousness.

She came to in her own bed with a dull ache on the left side of her body. There was a weight on her left arm—Jaina looked down and saw a cast.

"Kriff," she swore in a raspy voice and grimaced. Her mouth was too dry.

"The patient is awake. Welcome, Miss Jaina," a 2-1B medical droid greeted her.

"Can you take this off? And give me some water?" she asked.

"The cast will be taken off after 70 hours, 14 minutes and 58 seconds. This is how much time the bacta patch under it will need to heal the fracture in your left ulna," the droid informed her. Jaina sighed, understanding that she was now well and truly grounded in all the sense of the word. "Water is an allowed drink to the patient," the droid said and poured her some into a cup before giving it to her. Jaina drank the water thirstily.

Jaina asked about her brothers, but the droid had no information to give her apart from the fact that they hadn't been treated for anything, so it was safe to assume the boys were alright. Without access to the holonet soon the girl got so bored that she took off 2-1B's hand and was messing around with circuits just for the fun of it. It wasn't as amusing as tormenting Threepio, but it did in a pinch. She almost forgot what brought the medical droid to her room in the first place.

Then there was an impatient rap on the door. Jaina jolted and quickly shoved the dissembled droid hand under her covers. "Come in!" she called.

Her mother stalked inside like a white wraith. She was still wearing the Senate clothes and her elaborate braided hairdo was slightly windblown. Her gaze swept intently over the startled girl sitting in the bed, apparently unharmed except for the arm in the cast. Jaina felt her mother's agitated Force presence unfurling, extending to her own, touching her briefly before swiftly withdrawing and coiling unto itself.

"Jaina, what in the nine Corellian hells has gotten into you?" Leia asked without preamble.

"Hi, Mom, nice to see you too," Jaina muttered.

Leia shot her an unimpressed look. "It would be nicer to see you if you didn't insist on crashing on a _swoop_ _racetrack_," she replied in a biting tone.

"I didn't do that on purpose," Jaina said defensively. She wasn't suicidal!

Leia huffed. "I sure hope so! You could have killed yourself!"

_Well, I didn't,_ Jaina thought rebelliously, but held her tongue. Though that didn't stop an eyeroll.

"So… where are Jacen and Anakin?" she changed the topic.

"Your brothers are busy with their own punishment."

"What?! But it wasn't their fault! It was all my idea! I wanted to go to the races!" Jaina burst out, feeling protective over her younger brothers. Jacen and Anakin didn't deserve to be punished for her messing up. They only went with her because they wanted to cheer her up!

Her mother was unmoved. "How funny, they said the same thing," she only remarked, arms crossed. "Don't worry, you'll miss nothing. There's a punishment for you too, starting tomorrow."

"What is it going to be?" Jaina asked, hoping that it would be not going to the Alderaanian party. Or something else that would get her out of it.

"You're grounded for a month." Okay, that didn't sound so bad. "Without holonet entertainment. You will have access only to the educational materials for your lessons." Jaina paled. That sounded bad, but at least she'd have her lightsaber and personal engineering projects to play around with in her free time. "And no lightsaber or workshop access for you." Jaina's face fell, but Leia wasn't finished. "Additionally, Threepio is going to give you a lecture about swoop racing and you _will_ listen to it and make notes. You will then write a report in which you will explain why your actions were wrong and what exactly could have happened to you and your brothers. Twenty pages. Plus citations."

Jaina's eyes bugged out in disbelief. "Mom, this is going to take forever!" she cried out in protest.

"You have a month, you will find the time," Leia replied without a shred of mercy. "Also, tomorrow you have a dancing class with a tutor."

"A dancing class?!" Jaina repeated in horror. She'd learned some dancing in the past, it was for… the parties… "You mean I'm still going to that Alderaanian party?!"

Leia nodded. "Of course you're going, that's why you've returned from Yavin IV."

"Didn't you say I was grounded?" Jaina pointed out.

"Attending the Annual Alderaan Memorial Ball is your duty, Jaina, I shouldn't have to explain that to you," Leia replied with a small frown.

"Because you were the princess of Alderaan?" Jaina said sourly.

Leia's frown deepened. "I still hold that title. And I am the Chief of State and we were invited to this ball by the President of New Alderaan."

"Can I decline the invitation?" Jaina muttered sarcastically.

Leia raised an eyebrow, as if saying 'what do you think?' "This is one of the rare chances for you to take part in the Alderaanian culture. This is your heritage, Jaina."

"I don't want it," the girl said bluntly.

Her mother's gaze was blazing. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"Why? Maybe I wanted you to hear that," Jaina shot back.

Leia's knuckles tightened as if she was physically keeping her emotions in check. "You don't know what you're talking about," she said in a forced calm tone. But Jaina sensed her hurt and agitation. She knew that she was getting to her. Her own mass of frustration rose up to meet Leia's.

"No, Mom, you're the one who doesn't understand! I don't need to go to this party and I don't want to! Why should I go, just because I'm your daughter? I've never seen Alderaan, I've never been there! It had been destroyed long before I was born and _I – don't – care_," Jaina lashed out, giving voice to bottled up feelings she'd had for the last few days. The glares of two pairs of identical brown eyes clashed violently like vibroblades in a knife fight.

Leia's nostrils flared as her anger spiked. Her arm twitched and Jaina reflexively flinched, hunching her shoulders up. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes and met Leia's wide ones. Mother and daughter stared at each other in shock. For a moment there, Jaina had really thought her mother was going to hit her.

And from the looks of it, her mother had thought the same thing.

Leia took in a ragged breath to calm herself. "Whether you like it or not, you're coming to the ball and that's final," she decreed. "I will deal with your disrespect later, young lady," she said and turned around, leaving Jaina's room.

"Whatever floats your boat, _old lady_," Jaina said mockingly just before the door closed. "It's not like my opinion even matters!" she shouted out in frustration when it did.

Panting in anger, Jaina glared at the door. She'd finally said most of the things that she had on her mind. It made her feel triumphant, gave her a malicious satisfaction at seeing how much she cut her mother with those words, but… under it all she didn't feel better at all. She felt wretched and rotten and she didn't know how to fix it. This wasn't like 2-1B's hand that she could easily reassemble because she knew every little screw and mechanism in it.

Jaina groaned and slumped down on the pillow. She wished she could talk to someone. She wished she could talk to Winter. Her old nanny and favourite aunt would have understood. She'd never forced Jaina to learn about Alderaan. With her, the dancing lessons had been fun.

Often, Jaina wondered why her mother couldn't be more like Winter. Winter was so cool, she told the best stories about the Rebellion (_and Mother, and Alderaan too_, a little voice helpfully added in), she knew what Jaina liked and disliked, food, toys, clothes, she was even so cool that she married an X-wing pilot! She'd definitely let her kids ride swoops or fly starfighters if they wanted to.

Jaina looked moodily at the ceiling and the glowing star stickers. She wanted to be out there, go back to Yavin IV and learn to fly between the stars from her uncle. The longing to be free from everything that was holding her down welled up in her so strongly that she wept. She put an arm over her eyes.

"Are you in pain, Miss Jaina?" the medical droid inquired.

"No," she bit out and sniffled.

"Do you require my assistance?"

"I'm _fine_," she gritted out. "Can't even cry in peace," she groused to herself.

"Very well. In that case, could you please reattach my hand? I will need it to optimally perform my functions," 2-1B put in a request.

Jaina wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "Sure," she muttered and sat up. She took out the limb and started working on putting it back together. That was so much easier than dealing with her other problems and she took comfort in the familiar work. It just made sense when so many things didn't.

Next day, Jaina was released from her room to attend the dancing lesson with Jacen and Anakin. Her brothers huddled around her worriedly.

"Jaina, sorry we didn't visit you yesterday, we wanted to, but the punishment, are you alright?" Jacen asked, all in one breath.

"I'm fine," she said impatiently. "Quick, tell me what do you have to do for your punishment?"

"I'm helping Threepio with chores," Anakin said, looking miserable. Jaina could understand, her little brother must have been bored out of his mind. She turned to Jacen, who avoided her look.

"I'm cleaning… in the workshop," he admitted, drawing jealous looks and groans of disgruntlement from his two siblings. Jacen grinned wryly and shook his head. "Guess Mom figured out to give that job to the only one of us who doesn't love mechanical things."

Jaina nodded in agreement.

"She is also making us listen to Threepio and write essays," Anakin added.

"Me too," Jaina replied with a sigh. It seemed the punishment was justly distributed between the three of them, so she couldn't try the dad angle to get her out of it whenever he got back from the delivery run. The last they heard from him, he stopped by Bespin.

The dancing lesson with the new tutor, an older stern lady that huffed and hemmed over their poor form and clumsy execution, was just as dreadful as Jaina expected. Wearing that bulky cast on her arm didn't help either as its weight screwed with her balance. After the lesson was over, she felt like she didn't learn anything. If it was possible, it seemed that she unlearned what she knew.

Next on the day's agenda was Threepio's lecture which took three long hours of their life that they would never get back.

Jaina sneaked out to the kitchen for snacks, when on her way she heard familiar voices from the living room. She stopped undecided before tiptoeing closer. She carefully pressed her ear to the door.

"I just don't know what I'm supposed to do. One day she'll go overboard, take a too high risk and then even the all-powerful Force will not be able to save her." That was her mother! And she was talking about her?

"She's a moody teenager, she'll get over it. You only need to keep your temper. You're doing fine," the other female voice replied. Jaina couldn't quite place it.

"I wish it were that simple. She's disrespectful on purpose, but what's worse, after she said all those things yesterday, I fear that she's really feeling that way. I, the last Princess of Alderaan, raised my daughter to not care about Alderaan! I've never felt so ashamed, Mara."

Mara! Jaina trembled with excitement. If Aunt Mara was here, then she flew in from the Jedi Academy!

"Don't take it out on yourself. When was the last time you actually talked with the kid? Without any arguments?"

The silence was telling as both Leia and the eavesdropping Jaina tried to remember the last time such a thing occurred.

Leia sighed in resignation. "It's been a really long time. I've been busy with the Senate and Jaina is away most of the time on Yavin IV, so that must be why…" she reasoned for her own sake.

"Well, knowing that is a start," Mara said. "Sorry I can't help you more, but you know I'm terrible with kids."

"Don't sell yourself so short, Mara. _My_ kids, at least, adore you," Leia replied and gave another sigh.

Mara snorted, but didn't refute. "Well, I need to get going."

"You're heading back to Yavin IV?" Leia asked.

Jaina's heartbeat sped up as she pressed her ear flat to the door and concentrated so she wouldn't miss anything.

"Sure, later. I still need to wait for those supplies I requested, but I'm lifting off in the late evening."

Jaina didn't listen to the rest of it, instead she walked away before someone came looking for her. She sensed they wouldn't say anything important anyway. A scheme was crystallizing in her mind.

After completing the usual lessons for the day, Jaina was escorted back to her room to work on her report about swoops. However, she had no intention of doing so. The moment she was left alone with Threepio, she deactivated him with the Force, a trick she'd perfected when she'd been still little. Then she pulled out her trusty multitool, which she never parted from, and tinkered with the door control panel until it opened. Jaina sneaked through the apartment, casting out her senses for her confiscated lightsaber, though she had a good idea where to look. And she was right, she found all the Solo family lightsabers in her mother's desk drawer beside her red one. With a smirk, Jaina picked up the characteristic silver cylinder of her blade and hooked it on her belt beside the multitool.

On her way out, Jaina stopped in the corridor, wondering if she should take her brothers along. Ultimately, she decided against it. It was better not to involve them anymore in her ideas, especially if they could get messy. Besides her plan was guaranteed to succeed with only one person, not three.

Jaina knew the codes to the front door. From there she simply called a droid taxi and had it bring her to the spaceport. She knew her way around there pretty well from often coming over to help her father work on the Falcon.

Through the port directory, she found the right docking bay to go to. Jaina unobtrusively staked out the Jade Sabre from behind a stack of containers as she planned her next move. Now came the hardest part, she had to bypass the security measures and sneak onboard undetected. After that—goodbye Coruscant, welcome back Jedi Academy! The girl grinned foxily to herself.

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AN: Thanks for reading! There are two more chapters. I'll be grateful to hear your thoughts about the story. Please review! :)

Happy Legends Family Week and may the Force be with you!


	2. Chapter 2

**Jaina's Rebellion**

**Chapter 2**

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Mara Jade Skywalker was checking items on the cargo delivery list that a harrowed Rodian docker handed to her when she felt a small ping on her senses. She turned around, but there was nothing, so she shook her head and carried on.

_A mynock?_ She thought.

After the supplies were loaded and the shipping manifest signed, Mara headed to the bridge and ran a scan for lifeforms. If there was some vermin trying to make itself at home on her ship, she was getting rid of it before she left the planet!

The lights on the display blinked in red. Something alive was detected in the cargo hold and it was pretty big. Mara grabbed her blaster and set it to stun, then stalked to the hold. She didn't turn on the lights so as to catch the pest unawares, but she cast out her senses, trying to locate it. A faint feeling led her to look behind one of the containers, but all she found was some disturbed air. Mara ground her teeth in annoyance and kept looking. In times like this she wished she had some backup, like Luke's astromech droid.

She checked her chrono and swore. She didn't have time to play cat and mouse with some mynock!

"Poison gas, that will get the little kriffer," Mara muttered to herself, her voice carrying in the quiet cargo bay.

A soft 'eeep!' that didn't sound anything like a mynock caused Mara to raise a brow as she went to investigate.

Jaina, who was huddled down behind a nearby tall stack with a pounding heart, slapped a hand over her mouth and scrambled to run but it was too late. The sound of boots rounded the corner.

"Hold it right there!" Mara ordered. "I have you in my sights. No sudden moves or I shoot."

"Please don't shoot! It's me, Jaina!" the girl cried out in fear.

"Jaina?" Mara lowered her blaster, but didn't holster it until she came closer and confirmed it was really her niece. "What in the blazes are you doing here?"

The girl got up from the floor, knees still wobbly from the scare. She thought quickly on her feet. "W-Well… I came to visit you, because you didn't even come to say hello to me earlier when you were at our place…" she made up a plausible excuse.

"Then why were you hiding here? I was just standing out front the whole time," Mara pointed out.

Jaina stared in panic. "I-I was trying to surprise you!"

Mara snorted. "Not a bad lie, but a terrible execution. I'd expect better from you," she said. "I'll tell you what I think this is about. You sneaked in here because you wanted to stowaway on my ship. Nice attempt, by the way. I'll have to up the security defenses on the Sabre when this is over." She tapped on her commlink. "I'm leaving soon, so your mother will have to sort this out."

"Wait! Please don't call my mom!" Jaina asked.

"And why shouldn't I?"

"Please… I don't want to go back. Please let me come with you to the Jedi Academy. It's the only place where I belong," Jaina pleaded heartfully.

That gave even her stern aunt a pause. "What do you mean? You have home and family here."

"Yes, but I'm going to be a Jedi. I need to train and hone my skills, but my mother sends me back and forth whenever it suits _her_, not me. She doesn't want to deal with me, off to the Academy! She needs me to attend some stupid party, she brings me back against my will. It's like she thinks being a Jedi is something you can just turn on and off. Maybe she can do that, but I can't!" Jaina burst out into a rant.

Mara pursed her lips. "Look, kid, I don't know everything that's going on with you two, but I'm sure your mother is doing what's best for you."

"No, don't you see?! She's trying to turn me into something I'm not. I don't want to be some Alderaanian, I want to be a Jedi!" Jaina protested furiously. "Please, Aunt Mara, take me with you."

Mara rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. "I can't." She raised a hand to stave off Jaina's argument. "If I took you off-planet with me without your mother's knowledge and permission, I would be charged with a kidnapping."

"But you're family! She wouldn't do that to you!" Jaina replied.

"And I wouldn't do that to her. Leia is my friend and sister-in-law. She believed in me when even I doubted myself. I owe her a lot and I would never kidnap her daughter." Mara shook her head and Jaina realized that the argument had been lost from the beginning. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'm calling Leia now," Mara said and opened a channel on her commlink.

Leia Organa Solo was going out of her mind with worry, organizing search parties for Jaina, when her private commlink buzzed. She glanced at it and saw that it was Mara calling. Leia's brows drew together. Wasn't she supposed to be gone already? What did she want now?

Leia accepted the call. "Whatever this is, can it wait?" she said shortly. "Jaina's missing and I don't have the time to deal with another crisis."

"Actually, I found her."

"What? How?"

"She was trying to stow away on the Jade Sabre. Can you come pick her up?"

Leia grabbed her purse and keys to the airspeeder. "I'm coming," she said. On her way to the garage she called off the search. Once in the air, she broke the speed limit and committed several other traffic violations to get to the spaceport as fast as humanly possible. She might not love flying like her husband or brother (_or daughter_), but she was still very good at it. As she drove, she was occupied with thoughts about Jaina. That girl almost gave her a heart attack for a second day in a row! Leia had been terrified when she'd discovered her daughter was missing. Now she was livid and afraid. Would it happen again? What could she do to prevent it? Somehow, she didn't think microchipping Jaina was the right answer. Then what? What was she going to do with that girl?

Leia gripped the controls harder. At flying, she was a natural. How she hated that the same couldn't be the case with being a mother. They said it got easier when the kids grew, but for her it was the opposite—the older the kids got, the harder it became.

After making her call to Leia, Mara took her guest to the galley. She got herself a caf and a fizzy drink for the teenager. Jaina took the can grudgingly.

"Thanks," she muttered sullenly.

Frowning, Mara looked at the girl, then at the chrono. She wasn't going to leave on schedule, the docking fee would go up as a result, and she had a moody teenager onboard. She couldn't do anything about the former two, but at least she could deal with the latter.

"You were saying a lot about wanting to be a Jedi, but I can't see it right now," she commented.

Jaina glanced at her with tired offense. "I'm serious about it."

"Oh, really? Then why don't you act it?" Mara replied.

"I tried! I was trying to get back to the Academy to continue my training, but you had to ruin it," Jaina said with a grumble.

Mara rolled her eyes. "You think being a Jedi is about training? About how many boulders you can lift or doing a perfect backflip? With that kind of mindset, you will never become a Jedi."

Jaina bristled. "Then why don't you tell me what's it really about?" she asked challengingly.

Mara took a sip of her caf. Black and bitter, just the way she liked it. Caf tasted a lot like truth. "Sacrifice. Doing the right thing even when it's difficult, even if it costs you everything," she said as she stared into the distance, remembering the moment when she had finally chosen the Jedi path. The act that it led her to, when she had sacrificed what she had valued the most, everything she had worked so hard for, her very soul, for the sake of saving the galaxy.

Jaina's belligerent expression abated, the raw words and the pain lurking in her aunt's eyes making her take her seriously. She couldn't dismiss them.

"Take your actions today for example. You insist so much that you want to be a Jedi, yet you didn't even bother to consider how your actions could be detrimental to the Order," Mara said.

"What are you talking about?" Jaina asked in confusion. Training to become a Jedi faster was going to help the Order, there was still so little of them. How could that be detrimental?

"Suppose your stowaway scheme had succeeded and I hadn't caught you. Your mother would have organized a planet-wide search. And then it would've been discovered that I had taken you on my ship to the Jedi Academy. The whole story would have gone public. And do you know how it would've looked like to people? 'Jedi Master's wife kidnaps Chief of State's daughter and forces her into Jedi training', that's what they would've seen on the holonews. Do you know it was often an accusation against the old Jedi? Bringing it back would stir the anti-Jedi sentiments. Your uncle's Order would lose trust of the people it's supposed to protect. Parents would start fearing again that the Jedi would come and take their children away. Do you understand, Jaina? Those would have been real consequences of your actions, had I not stopped you."

Jaina rapidly paled as the magnitude of what could have almost happened hit her. She felt faint. "I… I didn't think…" she said.

Mara nodded. "Exactly. You didn't think. You just selfishly followed your own desires. Is that what a real Jedi would do?"

"No…" Jaina whispered, looking down in shame. "Aunt Mara, I… I'm so sorry," she said with tears coming to her eyes.

"Good. But what are you going to do about it?"

"I won't let it happen again," Jaina promised. "I will think through my actions and motivations and do the right thing."

"That's a start," Mara said with approval. She sipped on her caf, feeling accomplished. She made a headway with the girl, but the rest was up to Leia. "Your mother will be here soon. What will you do?"

Jaina gulped, then set her shoulders straight with a look of grim resolve. "I will do the right thing."

She was going to face the music.

Leia's airspeeder flew into the docking bay and slid to a halt right in front of the lowered ramp where Mara and Jaina were waiting. The girl fidgeted nervously, so Mara put a steadying hand on her shoulder. It boosted Jaina's courage and she nodded to her aunt in thanks.

The speeder's door raised and Leia exited, looking harried. Her gaze zeroed in on Jaina and she went straight to her. The girl stood ramrod, bracing herself for the vicious lashing of her mother's cold anger.

Jaina's eyes flew open in surprise when instead she was enveloped in a tight, warm hug.

"M-Mom?" she stuttered.

"Jaina…" Leia took in a ragged breath and tightened the hug, then pulled away to look at her confused daughter. Her eyes were glistening. "Don't you ever do this to me again. Ever."

"You're not angry?" Jaina asked in a small voice.

Leia let out a sobbing laugh. "Angry? I am absolutely furious," she said and Jaina's face fell. "But more than that I'm so happy and relieved that you're alright," Leia added with a smile and hugged her again. "You scared me to death," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I'm really sorry," Jaina said, returning the hug fiercely, as tears sprang to her eyes. "I won't run again, I promise!"

"Good," Leia replied. After taking a moment for the emotions to taper off, she released Jaina from the embrace. "We'll discuss this more at home," she told her, then turned to Mara. "Thanks for finding her. Did this make a lot of trouble for you? I'll be happy to help."

Mara shook her head. "No, no trouble. Just a small delay. Actually, I was thinking if I should stay on Coruscant for a day or two anyway."

"Then you could stay with us, we have extra room," Leia offered. "And you're family. I insist," she said, anticipating Mara's resistance to the idea. She knew just how independent the woman was.

"Well… Thanks," Mara accepted awkwardly.

What she didn't say was the reason for her decision to remain. Even from before she'd left Yavin IV to come to Coruscant, she'd felt a certain pull in the Force towards the planet. There was something important there and she was getting close to it. When she agreed to stay with Leia, the feeling in the Force got stronger and more sure. She was on the right track.

.

After returning home, Jaina was withdrawn and pensive. Aunt Mara had given her a lot to think about. Jaina accepted her punishment without any complaint. To her surprise, nothing was added to it, despite the running incident, and she wasn't locked up in her room arrest again. In their discussion, Leia even admitted that she might have gone overboard with punishment for the swoop racing incident. Jaina was allowed limited holonet access of one hour per day, with more privileges to be restored once she completed her other tasks. Knowing that it wouldn't be just one month of endless misery and boredom made all the difference to the girl and gave her motivation to work hard so she could return to normalcy as soon as possible. As a result, there was a palpable release of tension between her and her mother.

"Mom, you should take this too," Jaina said and unhooked the lightsaber from her belt.

"It's yours, you can keep it. I'm going to return boys' lightsabers too. I trust you all to know by now that they aren't toys," Leia replied.

Jaina shook her head. "No, Mom, I… I think I'm not worth it."

"Why?" Leia asked in surprise. Seeing Jaina without her innate confidence was disconcerting.

"Aunt Mara made me realize something about myself… that I wasn't acting like a Jedi should. So I shouldn't carry this with me until I can call myself a Jedi again."

"Jaina, everyone makes mistakes. Even the Jedi. Don't be too hard on yourself, you're still so young. You're still learning," Leia said, rubbing her daughter's arm comfortingly.

"I know, Mom. That's why I want you to keep it… and give it to me when you think it's right," Jaina requested.

Leia closed her eyes in thought. "Very well. But you will accept it back when I say so, no returns, alright?"

The girl agreed.

Her brothers whisked her off when she was free for an interrogation. Jacen was livid that she'd run away without him. As her twin, he felt it was his duty to watch her back. Jaina understood that, she would have felt the same way if she'd been in his shoes. They'd always gone together on their dangerous exploits since they'd been little. Anakin also wasn't too happy about her leaving without even a word. He would have covered for her. Jaina was heartened by their brotherly loyalty, but she explained to them that she was turning a new leaf.

Next day, the Solo siblings still had to attend another dancing lesson with their harpy of a tutor. However, this time Aunt Mara was in the house. After a heated argument, she sent the tutor packing and took over the lesson. She made what had been torture into a fun time, not that she wasn't demanding, she wanted their one hundred percent, but she was so much better at explaining the movements and helping them to get it right. Even their mother and Threepio were roped in to dance with them before the end of the lesson.

In the evening, Mara joined Leia for a cup of tea.

"This was a crazy couple of days," Leia said as she kicked back in her armchair.

"No kidding," Mara agreed.

"I can't ever thank you enough for what you've done for me and Jaina. When she had that swoop accident… I was losing my mind with worry. I tried to protect and punish her, but I only pushed her too hard… I'm scared to think what could've happened to her if not for you," Leia confessed.

Mara shifted uneasily in her seat. "No thanks needed."

"I saw you together with her today. You have a way with her," Leia continued undaunted.

"You're exaggerating."

"No, I'm not. I'm her mother, so I know. She listens to you. I think you're good for her Mara. That's why I have a request," Leia told her seriously.

Mara quirked her brow. "What is it?" she asked apprehensively. The Force around her stilled in anticipation.

Leia took in a breath. "I want you to consider becoming Jaina's Master."

The Force jumped in excitement. Mara gave a jolt, completely blindsided. "Me?" she choked out, at a loss of words.

"Yes."

"But, why me? What about Luke? Wasn't he going to train her?"

"It has to be you. Luke promised me to teach my children when I still wasn't fully trained. But I think he'd have his hands full with all three of them, don't you agree? You could take on Jaina and give her the individual guidance that she needs," Leia explained, sounding so rational. She'd really thought this through before bringing up the subject. Like a skilled politician that she was, she had Mara cornered. All her statements were true and irrefutable.

"But you're her mother. Aren't you going to teach her?" Mara brought up another point of contention.

"As much as I would like it, I can't. It's not just my duties. I'm not really a Jedi in the same sense as you or Luke are. That's the kind of Jedi Jaina wants to be. I was her first teacher in the Force, but now I can't teach her what she needs to know anymore. But I can at least guarantee she'd get the best teacher possible—you," Leia said with certainty that humbled Mara.

"I've never done this. I've never trained anyone. I barely finished training myself," Mara pointed out.

Leia gave her a smile. "I've seen you today instructing the kids in dancing. You did a great job as a teacher. And whatever you said to Jaina on the Sabre, she really took it to heart. She even gave me her lightsaber for safekeeping because she wants to earn it back," she revealed with a proud look. "Mara, I think you will be a wonderful Master to Jaina. Please, just consider it, that's all I ask."

Mara looked at her lap. "I… I will think about this." She stood up abruptly. "I'm going to retire. Goodnight."

In the guestroom, Mara was pacing as she battled with her thoughts. Luke had mentioned to her that she was ready to take on an apprentice, but she always cut him off when he started the topic. She wasn't ready. She was still working part time in business while being a Jedi. There was too much going on to add an apprentice, another responsibility, to the mix.

And yet, the Force compelled her to come to Coruscant, to find Jaina, to stay with the Solo family… And she couldn't deny that she felt a connection with the girl that went beyond mere familiarity as aunt and niece. She observed her in this time, evaluated, corrected… like she was already her teacher.

However, Mara's understanding of Jaina allowed her to notice something important—what the girl truly needed was her mother's attention and approval. And after their difficulties, things were starting to look better between them. Was it really wise to get between mother and daughter? How her becoming Jaina's Master would affect their relationship? Mara feared the girl would see this as another rejection by her mother.

Agitated, she stopped in the middle of the room and took deep meditative breaths. Then she glanced at the comm unit. Mentally, she calculated the time on Yavin IV. Early morning.

Well, Farmboy was going to get a wake-up call, whether he liked it or not. It was his fault anyway, he was the one who wanted her to get an apprentice.

.

* * *

AN: Anyone out there? Legends fans, are you alive?


	3. Chapter 3

**Jaina's Rebellion**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Despite Jaina's newfound determination to earn herself the title of a Jedi, she still didn't understand why she had to go to the Alderaan Memorial Ball. Therefore, she simply resigned herself to the boring evening, stuck in an uncomfortable gown and making small talk with strangers. She would do it only to make her mother happy, no other reason. At least the cast on her arm was finally taken off that day.

She was surprised and overjoyed when Aunt Mara showed up at her door dressed to the nines. "Are you ready, kid? Need some help?"

"You're going with us?" Jaina guessed excitedly.

"Yes, I guess I'm filling in as the official Jedi Order representative at the party," Mara explained as she came inside.

"Why would the Jedi need a representative at this party?"

"You don't know?" Mara asked. "There are plenty of reasons. One is that a Jedi presence elevates the prestige of the event. The other obvious one is networking."

"Networking?"

"Yes. I can do your hair in traditional Alderaanian braids, would you like that?" After Jaina gave her permission, Mara took a hairbrush and started combing and parting the girl's hair for the elaborate hairdo. "It's important for the Jedi Order to have friendly relations with people at the top," she picked up the topic.

Jaina frowned. "But why? We have Mom, she's the Chief of State, what more do we need?"

Mara shook her head. "Think, Jaina. Your mother won't be the Chief of State forever. The next one might not like the Jedi so much. So it's important to have important people on our side. Having friends in high places goes a long way to keep the Jedi afloat. Can you think of another reason?"

While she worked on the braids, Jaina thought it over. She remembered something her father had said. When you don't know what it's about, it's always about… "Money?" she said aloud.

"You guessed it right. The Jedi Order needs sponsors. People who support our work for the galaxy, that give us the means to get supplies."

"I thought the New Republic funded the Order?" Jaina asked, wincing when Mara pulled a little too hard on her hair.

"Not entirely, otherwise the Jedi would be bound to obey the politicians. That was the cause of the old Jedi's downfall, so now we're going more independent. The New Republic is one of our chief donators and often asks us to do certain work to keep peace in the galaxy, but we aren't dependent on it to survive."

Jaina never thought about the Jedi this way. It was always adventures and lightsabers. She never realized what was needed to run an organization like the Jedi Order. It made sense to her that behind those heroic deeds there were supplies and money that made them possible. It wasn't as romantic, but it spoke to the pragmatic side she inherited from her father.

"And there's a third reason for a Jedi to go to the Alderaan Memorial Ball," Mara said.

"What is it?"

"Gratitude. Without Alderaan, the Jedi Order wouldn't exist."

"What are you talking about?" Jaina wasn't aware of any connection between Alderaan and the Jedi. "But Alderaan was destroyed before Uncle Luke restarted the Jedi Order."

Mara smiled mysteriously. "If you really don't know, I suggest that you listen closely to your mother's speech for tonight. I'm done," she announced, taking her hands off Jaina's head. The girl went to the mirror to check the results.

Jaina looked at the elegantly weaved braids, pinned on her head, admiring herself. The hairstyle made her look different, more mature.

"This looks amazing! Thanks, Aunt Mara!" she said brightly. "How are you so good at making braids?"

"Oh, it's just another essential skill in the arsenal of the Emperor's Hand," Mara replied with a playful wink. Jaina giggled.

That's when her mother strode it. "Jaina, are you ready… Oh, Mara, you're here?"

"I was helping with her hair."

Leia took a look. "Great job. I should have let you do mine too. Raincheck?" she asked.

"Sure."

"Anyway, I've got something for you," Leia said to Jaina and showed her a silver headpiece, shaped like interlocking tree branches with a green gemstone in the middle. "I had something like this when I was your age. My mother gave it to me. It was lost on Alderaan, but I had this replica made for you. What do you think?"

"Thanks, Mom, it's beautiful," Jaina said in awe.

"I'll put it on you. Hold still." Leia came behind Jaina and placed the headpiece on. It complimented the braids nicely. Now, in her white gown, with the sophisticated hairstyle and a work of art on her head, she really looked and felt like a princess.

"Threepio!" Leia called the protocol droid. "Fetch the holocamera! We're taking a holo of this!"

"Moom…" Jaina groaned with a blush.

"My daughter looks like a young noble lady, I need to have this immortalized on the holo, so I can show your father when he gets back from the Corporate Sector."

"So Han won't make it after all?" Mara asked.

Leia shook her head. "He has diplomatic immunity and still has trouble crossing the border."

Threepio showed up with the holocam and they took the pictures of everyone, starting with Jaina. Then they left for the party.

Mara touched Jaina's shoulder, drawing her attention before they entered the venue. "If you're curious about the Jedi Representative work, you can shadow me tonight," she offered.

Jaina enthusiastically nodded. "I will!" she chirped with a wide smile.

As expected, there were many formalities to observe at the ball and Jaina had to perform them well. Threepio's etiquette drills finally came in handy. But exchanging pleasantries with even the dullest of people was worth seeing Aunt Mara in action. She was gliding across the room, smiling like a holostar and chatting up people effortlessly. Jaina would have wiped her eyes to check if she wasn't dreaming, she'd never seen her aunt this sociable in public.

Finally, the time for speeches came. The guests filtered into the auditory and took their seats. Jaina remained next to Aunt Mara. The first speaker was the New Alderaan President. Jaina tried not to fidget through his long-winded ruminations about surviving planetary destruction only because he'd had luck and left to visit family on Chandrila the same day.

"If I waited even an hour later, I would've been killed by the Death Star superlaser," the President concluded. "It was luck or maybe the Force that had saved my life so I can talk with you all today."

Then, at last it was Leia's turn to give a speech. She stepped up on the dais, looking regal and powerful, but also gentle and welcoming in a flowing, long-sleeved blue gown and a headdress draped with a semi-transparent, delicate fabric. The coloured pattern was handstitched on the dress to resemble Alderaan as it had been seen from space. She didn't wear any jewelry, but a few gems were tastefully embedded in the fabric around the collar.

The audience greeted Leia with a round of enthusiastic applause. Jaina clapped her hands for around ten seconds, then leaned forward in her seat, focusing on her mother. Leia raised a hand.

"Thank you. Thank you, everyone," she said and the last of clapping tapered off. "It's wonderful to see you all here again at Alderaan Memorial Ball. Thank you for coming." She took a small pause, her expression turning serious. "I was there, on board the Death Star, forced to watch as Governor Tarkin ordered to fire on my planet. In front of my eyes my parents, my people, my world, everything and everyone I ever loved was destroyed by the Empire." Leia's voice rang clear and true through the auditory, entrancing those who listened as she told her tale. Her eyes were misted over with the old pain. "I was in shock. The scale of this atrocity was so enormous and I just couldn't understand the reason. Why did it happen? Alderaan was peaceful. It stood for everything good and just in the galaxy. The Alderaanian people were artists, craftsmen, visionaries, lawyers, doctors, scientists, philosophers and free thinkers. But we didn't just enjoy our life in peace and prosperity, we aimed to bring it to the rest of the galaxy. We ran charities and mercy missions and we provided support and education to those less fortunate than us.

"And that's precisely why Tarkin couldn't let us live. Alderaan's mere existence was an anathema to the Empire. We proved that universal peace can be achieved through cooperation, not subjugation; friendship, not fear; freedom, not slavery!

"My father, Viceroy Bail Organa, was one of the founders of the Rebellion. My mother, Queen Breha Organa, secretly gave aid to the cause. But Alderaan had no weapons! My father and then I after him were members of the Imperial Senate. We tried to find a diplomatic solution, influence the Empire towards peace despite the futility of such an endeavour. We exhausted every non-violent option but nothing worked. And it couldn't have.

"Tarkin tried to make me believe that the destruction of Alderaan was a punishment for the royal family. It wasn't. From the very beginning, the Empire eliminated all those that advocated for peace. Starting with the destruction of the Jedi Order, the ancient guardians of peace, the Empire killed entire cultures, slaughtered billions of innocent beings for their beliefs, because those very beliefs and principles were the greatest threat to it! Emperor Palpatine and Governor Tarkin knew Alderaan had no weapons, that we were a peaceful world, a valuable asset to the economy at the very least, and they didn't care. That's because they waged war against ideas of freedom, justice, democracy, public dialogue, cooperation! Those were the enemies they hated and despised the most. Those principles were what they were really trying to destroy.

"Alderaan wasn't the first or the last of their victims. We remember the Jedi Order, Caamas and so many others that suffered before us, as well as those that came after. Alderaan welcomed the Caamasi refugees with open arms. I myself led a mercy mission there and saw the devastation wrought by the Empire, even though at that time I had no idea it was responsible. Those actions of solidarity might have made us a target for the Emperor's wrath sooner, but they were just and right. Alderaan's compassion and courage to help is the example the New Republic strives to follow every day.

"I'm especially pleased to see here today a representative of the Jedi Order. For centuries, the Jedi were the staunchest of allies to Alderaan and their loss was an immeasurable blow. The Empire sought to wipe them out completely, but the Jedi walk again among us now. They are the living proof that the Empire failed in destroying what it hated and feared the most. The Jedi survived the purge and the relentless hunt after, and under Luke Skywalker's leadership they were reborn to continue in their ancient mission of safeguarding peace in the galaxy. I'm glad that Alderaan also had its part in bringing back the Jedi Order." At those words, Jaina increased her attention to her mother's speech. "My father, Viceroy Bail Organa, at a great personal risk smuggled Jedi Masters Yoda and Kenobi on Coruscant so they could send a warning to the surviving Jedi. He aided them both when they went into hiding, so they could prepare their successor when the time was right. He also took in a Force-sensitive child, despite all the risks involved, and raised her as his own daughter. And now I'm proud that my own children are following the Jedi path. It is my sincerest wish that just like in the past, the Jedi Order and Alderaan will be the pillars of the Republic.

"We're gathered here, at Alderaan Memorial Ball, to remember the tragedy. But Alderaan isn't dead! Just like the Jedi aren't dead, just like Caamas isn't dead! The planet may be gone, but we survived, we rebuilt, we are Alderaan! As long as we are here, our friends are here, and our children are here, I know Alderaan will live on. Our culture, our principles and virtues, our achievements will never be forgotten and continue bringing light to the galaxy. That's what I believe in."

A thundercrash of applause rolled over the auditory. Roused by Leia's speech, beings stood up, clapping in a frenzy. Jaina remained seated, her brown eyes fixed on her mother as if she saw her for the very first time. In a way, she did; before then, Jaina only thought of her as Mom. But beyond that there was a princess of a destroyed world, a charismatic leader and a master of verbal swordplay. Her words that day touched everyone's hearts, but for Jaina, it felt more than just that. They exposed a deep flaw in her that she wasn't aware existed.

"Great speech, wasn't it?" Mara asked her.

Jaina nodded, growing pensive again. "It was incredible. And there were so many things I didn't realize before…" Her head was still reeling from the revelation upon revelation. It made her feel so frustrated with herself, so ashamed of how she'd acted in her own ignorance…

"Don't dwell on it too much. You will learn soon enough," Mara advised.

Jaina looked at her wide-eyed. It was as if her aunt could read her mind… could she? Jaina wanted to follow the advice, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to.

The rest of the evening she was distracted by her deep thoughts, then in the speeder on the way back home she finally got the chance to talk with her mother.

"Mom, will you… tell us more about Grandpa Bail? And Grandma Breha… and Alderaan?" she hesitantly asked.

Leia turned to her in surprise, then a warm smile brightened her face. "I would love to," she said.

Jaina smiled back shyly.

.

**Epilogue**

In the last couple of days Mara had her own tough nut to crack, but the more she considered all the cons, the clearer the path became to her. She was the kind of person who preferred planning and preparation rather than making snap decisions, however all her meditations pointed her in one direction. Luke said to 'trust the Force', so she did. Isn't this what being a Jedi was all really about?

Before she left, Mara informed Leia of her decision, then she knocked on Jaina's door.

"Come in!" the girl called from the inside.

Mara found her working on a datapad at her desk. That swoop racing report was underway.

"Hi." She closed the door behind her. "I came to say goodbye before I leave."

"You're going? Already?" Jaina asked with a clear disappointment as she stood up and came closer.

"Yeah, I need to get those supplies to Yavin IV sometime this year," Mara said wryly. "Can't let those perishables stink up my ship."

Jaina gave a small chuckle. "Then I guess you need to hurry," she replied.

They looked at each other unsurely, both feeling something unnamed between them, a sense of anticipation. Mara cleared her throat.

"Well, there's something I need to ask you before I go."

Jaina's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What is it?"

"It's an offer which you can refuse, alright? This will be entirely up to you," Mara prefaced. Jaina nodded, feeling even more curious. "Jaina, it wasn't coincidence that I came to Coruscant at this particular time. I was pulled here."

"Pulled? Like by the Force?"

"Yes. Something like that. And now I found the reason. It's you."

Jaina stared at her aunt in confusion. "Me, but why me?"

Mara took in a breath and looked the girl straight in the eye. "Jaina, I would like you to become my Jedi apprentice. Please, just think about it. You don't have to decide right now-"

"Yes!" Jaina blurted out, her shock transforming into a fierce joy in a second. She rushed forward and hugged Mara tightly around the middle. "Thank you! Thank you!"

Mara's eyes softened and she returned the hug. "Well, that was fast. Are you sure, Jaina?" she asked, pulling back. "This is a big decision. If you prefer someone else to be your teacher, like your uncle, just say so."

Jaina shook her head, grinning madly. "No! Don't take it wrong, I love Uncle Luke, but you're the coolest Jedi ever. I want to be your apprentice." The girl paused, biting her lip as she looked away for a moment. "And I also felt something in the Force. Maybe it wasn't just a lucky coincidence that I went to your ship when I tried to run?" she proposed.

Mara pursed her lips and nodded. She'd thought about that too. "For all we know, it could really be the will of the Force, leading us to each other."

"Well, I'm happy it's you, Aunt Mara. Really," Jaina said brightly.

Mara eased her expression into a lopsided smile. "Me as well."

"I'll be the best apprentice to you, I promise!" the girl exclaimed, unable to contain her youthful enthusiasm.

"Oh, you better be or I will make you. I won't go easy on you, Jaina. You're my niece so I will be extra hard. You think you're up to it?" Mara asked with a challenging glint in her eye.

Jaina bobbed her head up and down. "Absolutely." She gave her aunt a cocky Solo look, strikingly similar to her father's. "Bring it on… Master." Then she squinted. "So, when do we start?"

Mara's lips curled in a smirk of her own. "First, you need to complete that report on swoop racing. It won't write itself, will it?"

Her newly-minted apprentice groaned. "Do I have to?"

"I think you know the answer to that," Mara replied with amusement. "After you return to the Academy, we will begin your apprenticeship."

As they talked about the future they were going to step towards, the Force around them settled, lightly vibrating with harmony and joy. And, hidden behind the door she pushed ajar, Leia looked upon the two of them and smiled to herself. Her daughter was a handful but she would be in good hands. Leia couldn't think of a better teacher for Jaina.

_Except me…_ A regretful thought crossed her mind, summoning a brief ache in her heart, but Leia quickly banished it. It was no use dwelling on possibilities that could never be. For a short while she remained, watching Jaina and Mara talking excitedly. Then Leia quietly left.

.

Mara's departure for Yavin IV was on schedule. After she said goodbye to all the kids, Leia flew her to the spaceport.

"Mara," Leia said when she parked the speeder. When the woman turned to her curiously, she took her hand in her own. "Thank you," she said. "For agreeing to be Jaina's Master."

Mara tilted her head.

"Don't thank me. Thank the Force… and yourself. It wasn't really my idea. I was only following a gut instinct," she replied.

"You have good instincts," Leia remarked. "Jaina will do well under your instruction."

Mara's green eyes bore into her, seeing more than they probably should.

"Hey," she began softly, then she squeezed Leia's hand before releasing it. "Just because I will be her Master, doesn't mean you're off the hook. She still has many things to learn from you."

Leia accepted the reassurance with a small nod. Hearing that from Mara made her feel better. "Of course. Thank you," she said through a tightened throat.

"Any time, Leia. Any time."

.

Jaina's month of punishment stretched on forever, but at last it was done. She'd completed her report in less than two weeks. In the remaining half of the month Jaina and her brothers managed to stay out of trouble and finally it was time for them to return to the Jedi Praxeum to continue their study of the Force. Jaina was positively ecstatic about becoming Mara's apprentice.

While Jacen and Anakin went ahead, clambering up the landing ramp of the Millennium Falcon, Leia held Jaina back.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked.

"Eh?" Jaina made a sound of incomprehension.

Leia pulled out a silver cylinder from her purse. "You're going to need this."

"My lightsaber!" Jaina exclaimed in delight, then paused. "Are you sure… I can have it back?" she asked with uncertainty.

"Yes, that was our deal, remember? Your punishment is over. And I imagine you'll make a poor Jedi apprentice without your lightsaber. Now take it."

Jaina picked it up gingerly from Leia's hold. She tested it out, the purple blade springing out from the cylinder. The girl gave it a swing, then retracted the blade. Then she put the weapon on her belt. Jaina grinned; with the familiar weight of the lightsaber on her hip she was ready to face the next trials and challenges of her apprenticeship. But knowing that she had her mother's confidence was even better.

"Thanks, Mom," Jaina said.

"You're welcome," Leia replied, looking at her daughter intently. She brushed some of the girl's unruly hair back in a motherly gesture, then pointed to the ship. "You need to get going or you'll be late."

"Mom…" Jaina fought with herself, then gave her mother a quick hug. "I'll miss you," she whispered.

"I'll miss you too, sweetie," Leia replied softly and they parted. "Be good to your Master."

"I will," Jaina said solemnly and they shared a smile.

"Jaina, you coming or not?" Jacen called from the top of the ramp.

"Coming!" Jaina shouted his way, then turned to Leia. "Bye, Mom."

"Safe travels."

Jaina went up to the ship and waved to her mother. Leia waved back.

The landing ramp closed and the Millennium Falcon lifted off the pad and flew out of Coruscant, heading towards the stars and the distant Yavin IV, where the Jedi Academy awaited the students of the Force.

**The End**

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AN: Thanks for reading! Please review!


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